


The Birds and the Bees (But Mostly Birds)

by daisybrien



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Pet Store, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Modern Era, Oneshot, Pet Store
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-04
Updated: 2015-04-04
Packaged: 2018-03-21 06:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3681084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisybrien/pseuds/daisybrien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Levi accepts a job at a pet store to help pay for his bills, he can't help but hate every aspect of it. But when a regular customer shows up during his shifts to find feed for his birds, Levi can't help but feel the job seems just a little more bearable.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Birds and the Bees (But Mostly Birds)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MoonOwl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonOwl/gifts).



Levi takes the job more out of desperation than in his interest. 

He’s never liked animals, always thought that anything besides a cat made too much of a mess and took too much care. He can already tell he’s going to hate the job from the smell of the apron his new boss gives him, questioning how long it has been since the dander and dog shit has been washed out of the fabric. 

He’s falling behind on his bills, the anxiety over his tuition bills gnawing at the back of his mind, so he takes the garment anyway, stuffing it into his bag as he assures his employer that he’ll be back tomorrow for work and stumbles out the door.

#

He’s left to be trained by of one of the full time employees, a towering, burly man with stubble trailing around his upper lip and down his chin. He’s quiet, an air of shyness seeming to radiate off him despite the sheer size of his body. Levi is barely able to get a word out of him but for a few sarcastic remarks, the occasional sentence giving him enough information to help piece together the kind of guy he is; his name is Mike - but not short for Michael - he volunteers at the nearby rescue shelter twice a week, and his house is overrun by pit bulls he saved days before they would have been euthanized. Levi can’t help but admire the man’s compassion.

He also can’t help but admire his easiness with dog shit.

“You’re getting the hang of it,” Mike says, smirking as he watches Levi scoop the brown mush in his bag-covered hand. Despite the plastic barrier, Levi still feels his hands getting dirty, the texture almost making him puke, and he can’t help but gag when he tosses the bag into the compost bin. 

“Don’t lie to me,” Levi chokes out. The smell is so pungent he thinks he can taste it in his mouth. “I don’t know why I can’t just stock the shelves with food or something.”

“Really?” Mike says. He looks down at him, the smirk growing on his face, cocking an eyebrow. “You think you’d be able to lift those heavy bags?”

“Shut it,” Levi says. Mike chuckles.

“Could you even reach the top shelf?”

Levi glares at him, the urge to punch him growing. He decides better of it. He thinks he would break his knuckles on his abs.

“Anything would be better than picking up dog shit,” Levi grumbles, stumbling out of the puppy pen. Luckily, all of the animals are piled up in the corner napping. “Anything but messes.”

“Why would you take the job if you’re not ready to pick up animal crap?”

“Because I’m desperate.” At least he’s being honest. Mike only stares at him, the corner of his mouth curling up.

“You must be willing to stoop really low then,” Mike says. He leads Levi away from the cages of pups sleeping soundly in the windowsill, Levi following him through the rows of fish tanks. “Literally.”

Levi rolls his eyes as Mike chuckles, his nose crinkling as the smell worsens as they exit the sea of fish surrounding them. He finds himself surrounded by cages, birds screaming at him from behind the thin metal bars, wings flapping in a disorienting flurry of blurred colours. Off-white spots speckle the floor under his shoes, dotting the walls, and he cringes when he sees similar ones splattered over the bottom of each cage.

“And you thought dog shit was bad,” Mike laughs, handing him a pair of gloves and a paper mask. He starts to dig cleaning supplies out of a nearby employee closet, throwing a spray bottle and a scrubbing brush at a disgusted Levi. “Just wait until we clean the bird cages.”

#

“So how was your first day at work?”

It’s an innocent question, but it still puts Levi on edge, makes him bite down on the insult that almost slips through his mouth. He lifts the dirty apron over his head, whipping it at Hange’s head as he passes by the couch. Hange shouts in surprise, muffled curses sounding from underneath the stinking fabric.

“I’m guessing it didn’t go well,” they say. They pull the cloth off their face, turning around to smirk at him from over the sofa’s backrest, watching Levi make his way into the open kitchenette. 

“It’s fucking disgusting,” Levi grumbles as he sifts through the meager contents of the mini refrigerator, nothing but half empty bottles of condiments and half wrapped fast food leftovers. He grimaces, settling on one of the few apples shoved into the corner, its skin starting to go soft. “It’s more disgusting than you.”

“I’m not that bad,” Hange says, turning away from him to look back down at their notes, leaving Levi staring at the back of their head. “At least you don’t need to pick up after my shit like I’m some animal.”

“I beg to differ,” Levi mutters as he turns towards the sink, his eyes surveying the entirety of the cheap flat they were barely able to pay the rent for. Dirty dishes stew in the murky water of the kitchen sink, Hange’s clothes lying draped over the furniture and sprawled over the floor. He picks up one of the socks sitting crumpled in the corner of the room, grimacing. “I thought it was your turn to clean this place up.”

“Study now. Clean later,” Hange tells him. He hears papers ruffle in their lap, knows that they’re not going to be getting up for a long time, let alone to clean. 

“Bullshit,” Levi says. Hange laughs, their mouth open in something like a squawk. Levi looks them over, from their beak like nose to their colourful track pants to the disheveled hair piled up in a bun on top of their head. He smirks to himself, reminded of the parrots at the store.

“You got me,” Hange sighs dramatically. “I know you’re going to clean it anyways. It seems to be your hobby.”

“I’ve already spent the day cleaning up after disgusting animals,” Levi lectures them. They barely pay attention, only nodding their head, giving him rare noises of assurance. “I don’t need to spend the rest of the night doing the same.”

“At least you’re in the groove of cleaning up,” Hange replies. “You should find it easier now.”

“If I wanted to keep cleaning shit I would go back to work,” Levi says. “At least I would get paid for it there.” 

There’s another snort of laughter, another shuffling of papers as Hange settles into the cushions. Levi plops down on the couch beside them, eyeing his own stack of books on the small table. He’ll read them later, he thinks, sinking his teeth into the apple.

“I don’t know why you took the job if you hate it so much,” Hange says, breaking the peaceful silence that had settled between the two of them. Levi chews slowly, turning the half eaten apple in his hands, his face twisting at the brown spots dotting its surface. He gets up to throw it out.

“Desperation,” Levi repeats, Mike’s chuckle bouncing in his head, “and you know it.”

“Well thank you, then,” Hange says in a mocking tone of sincerity. They go as far as sniffling a little, as if they were crying in gratitude. “Thank you for sacrificing your cleanliness to pay our rent.”

Levi snorts to himself, wondering how the hell he even ended up with such a freak as a roommate. He makes his way into the one hallway in the apartment, the thought of a warm shower beckoning him, aching to get the grime and sweat off of his body. 

“It’s only temporary,” Levi tells himself as he strips in the cold bathroom. “Once I get another job offer, I’m out of there.”

#

By some miracle, or more likely by Mike’s gentle persuasion, Levi’s next shift has him stocking shelves.

He spends his evening shift third-wheeling a couple in their first year of college, following behind them as they show him how to place price tags on the items and how to navigate the storage rooms at the back of the store. He doesn’t catch their names at first, only follows along to what they’re saying silently, nodding his head at every explanation.

That night is slow, the bell dangling over the entrance of the store only sounding once or twice each hour. Any customers that do come in are taken care of by Mike or one half of the college couple, leaving Levi to roam along the empty aisles with his price tag labeller in peace. The only sounds that break the silence are the drone of music, the occasional mewl of an animal, and the bickering of the university couple echoing through the deserted halls.

“You’re labeling the prices upside down.” Their bickering is closer to him now, the volume reaching a crescendo in time with the tap of their shoes against the linoleum tile. He recognizes it as the shorter half of the couple, a shock of orange hair and a petite build with wide, kind eyes. “How many times do I have to show you how to put the sticker roll in properly?”

“Relax, Petra,” the other half says, his voice taking on a tone of sarcasm. Levi tucks the name away in his memory, repeating it to himself before he can forget it again. “It’s not like the customers read them anyway. I don’t even think they can read half the time.”

“They can’t be as bad as you,” Petra snaps back. “I’ve read your essays. You’re not exactly a literary genius.”

Levi can’t help but chuckle to himself, the corner of his mouth twitching when he hears the other half of the couple whine indignantly. 

The two of them appear at the end of the aisle Levi is in, Petra snickering as her partner pouts beside her. They stop when they see him, and Levi turns back to the bags of birdseed on the shelf.

“Hey, Levi,” Petra says, the two of them making their way towards him from the other end of the hall. “How far have you gotten with the labels?”

“Just this shelf and I’m done,” he answers. He doesn’t look up, only works faster, moving down the shelf with his price labeller.

“Impressive,” Petra says. “Me and Auruo are going on break, we’ll wait for you until you’re done, if you want.”

“No thanks,” Levi answers. He slips the other name into memory, repeats it under his breath. It’s going to be a hard one to remember. “I still have to stock the shelves.”

“With the new birdseed shipment?” Auruo asks incredulously. “You’re going to need more than one person to carry those bags.” 

“I’ll be fine,” Levi says. He makes his way farther down the shelf, and the couple has to move out of the way before he bumps into them. 

“You sure? You might strain yourself.”

“I said I’ll be fine,” Levi presses. The couple exchanges a worried look, then shuffle their way out of the hall, muttering a goodbye as they pass him, their departure signaled by the bell ringing above the door.

#

He’s not fine.

It’s not the weight of the bags that bother him. He flings each sack of seed over his shoulders effortlessly, flinging them onto the cart sitting outside the tiny stockroom door, wheeling each full cart through the empty aisles to drop them onto the shelves once more. Despite his lack of height, he has the muscles and strength to do it, and only finds a small ache in his shoulder after that’s quickly solved with extra strength Advil.

It’s the birds, however, that bother him. 

Under some ill-fated lack of luck, he has to travel through the maze of birdcages in order to get from the showroom to the far stockroom. The paths between the cages are narrow, and he has to patiently maneuver the cart by each corner, careful not to disturb any of the cages. It doesn’t help that Mike insists on keeping the cage doors opened, letting the birds freely flit by above him. 

Miraculously, Levi makes I through the first few trips almost unscathed, nothing but a few unfortunate droppings of white crap falling on his shoulder, making him curse.

It’s the fourth trip from the stockroom that almost costs him his life. 

The wheel of his cart catches on the corner of the budgie cage, the metal rattling loudly, knocking it hard enough to almost knock it over, almost tipping on its side before settling back on its base again with a deafening crash. 

The birds in cage fly out at him, a blur of blue-green feathers swarming him. He covers his face, feels a couple sharp beaks and talons scratch at his cheeks and hands, feels cold droppings fall onto him. He runs for refuge, leaving the shrieking birds to settle down and running out of the maze of cages and into the nearest bathroom.

Petra finds him in the bathroom, Mike howling with laughter behind her as Levi scowls and swears, dabbing alcohol from the first aid kit into his scratches. Auruo saves him one shred of dignity, commenting on his strength carrying the bags, and Levi can’t help but thank him silently for making the ordeal just a little less embarrassing. 

“The poor birds,” Hange chuckles at him when he gets home, his black hair dotted with white and grey stains he tried desperately to wash out, bandages covering the red marks on his skin. “I can’t believe they would have to endure your scowl like that. I should call someone to report the store’s animal abuse.”

They shriek with laughter when Levi flings his apron at them, their laugh echoing along behind him as he stomps to the bathroom for a much-needed shower.

#

The next shift, he’s almost ready to quit, almost willing to walk into Mike’s tiny, dusty office and throw his apron down on the desk. The birds mock him from the cages, twittering at him with their beaks clamped around the thin metal bars of their confines, Levi cursing under his breath every time he winces at the sudden flutter of wings beside him. He spends his shift in a grumpy haze, almost snapping every time someone taps on his shoulder for something.

It’s when the bell above the door chimes that afternoon, a new customer walking through the doors of the store, that Levi’s mood starts to brighten.

Levi’s eyes follow him as he makes his way to the front counter. Mike smiles as he sees him approach the cash registers, slipping out from behind them to take his hand, pulling him in for a short hug and a pat on the back. The customer’s blond hair shifts, little strands falling from his gelled hair and in front of his face. When he smiles, the corners of his blue eyes wrinkle, his thick eyebrows rising up his forehead. He can’t help but stare as he watches the two of them immersed in their conversation. The man laughs, flashing white teeth in a gorgeous smile. 

Mike turns to look down the aisle, nodding his head towards Levi, pointing at him. Levi starts, turning back to his work with a jolt, wiping sweaty hands on his work pants. The two of them start to walk towards him. Levi squishes closer to the shelf, almost as if he could disappear into it.

“Yo, Levi,” Mike calls as he shuffles closer. “Help this guy out and get him some birdseed.”

He stares at Mike, not sure what to make of their interaction from before, sure that the customer that just walked through the door was much more than ‘this guy’ to him. Eventually he nods, waving the two of them through the towering shelves of massive bags.

Mike stays behind, leaving Levi to guide the customer on his own. He tries to swallow the butterflies flitting in his stomach. He finds the proper section of the store, hefting the bag of birdseed into the man’s carriage.

“You must be pretty strong if you’re able to pick those bags up by yourself. Even I have trouble with those bags sometimes,” he says to Levi. Levi can’t help but give him a curious glare, doubting his lack of strength; especially with the way his short sleeves hug the muscles of his biceps. “Although I hope you’re careful not to strain yourself.”

“Yeah,” Levi says lamely, stretching his arms in front of him, then above him. It’s a feeble attempt to show off, and it’s completely unlike him to want to be noticed. 

“I haven’t seen you around here before,” he says, his bushy eyebrows pulling together as he turns his head to look at the nametag on Levi’s shirt. 

“New job,” Levi stutters out. They stand awkwardly in the aisle, and Levi has to tell himself to stop staring. “Only been here a week.”

“Well then,” the man replies, giving him a wide smile, pushing his shopping cart down the aisle as he makes his way to the cash registers. “Hopefully we’ll see each other more often, Levi.”

#

“Who was that guy?” Levi asks later, with his arms elbow-deep in the suds of dog shampoo, gloved hands scrubbing at the fur of a Doberman. 

“Hm?” The question seems to catch Mike off guard, and he looks up, slightly startled. Water stains the front of his apron, soap bubbles hanging off his shaggy hair, some even sticking comically the bristles of his moustache. “Who are we talking about?”

“The guy who came in earlier today,” Levi elaborates. The dog in front of them shakes, sending water flying in every direction. Levi has barely enough time to duck, raising his arms to shield himself. “You guys obviously know each other.”

“Oh, Erwin?” Mike says, his face alight with recognition. “Yeah, me and Erwin are buddies. We were old high school friends. Went to the same university. May have hooked up a couple times.” At that, Levi feels a tiny pang of jealousy, looking down to scrub at the fur more vigorously. “He’s a regular here. Kind of a lucky coincidence, since we’re the only store in the area that carries the brand of food he gets.”

“Huh,” Levi sputters out. His mind starts to brea into tangents, imagining Erwin sitting in a lecture hall, the two of them walking down the same school hallways. “You guys have quite a history.”

“You could say that,” Mike says, chuckling to himself at his own cheesy wit as he continues. “Nanaba still jokes that I’m more in love with him than I am with her, sometimes. I don’t think we could have continued though. I’ve never took that much of a liking to birds, and Erwin’s allergic to dog fur. It could never worked out.”

Levi’s mind screeches to a halt, cringing to himself, his skin prickling as he recalls the feeling of talons and beaks digging into his skin. But then he remembers Erwin’s bright blue eyes, the way his muscles stretched the fabric of his shirt. He thinks he can look past the birds for now.

“How often does he come here?” Levi asks, his words broken and stuttered, looking down at the soapy fur in front of him Mike squints at him, a knowing grin slowly forming on his face. Levi glares back at him from under his hair.

“Every Wednesday,” Mike says. “If you want me to change your work schedule, just ask.”

#

“Well, you’re looking chipper today,” Hange comments a few days later during one of their evening coffee runs. They both have bags hanging under their eyes, guzzling down cup after cup of coffee at the Starbucks down the street, their notes spread out on the tables in preparation for another all-night study session. Despite the exhaustion etched into the lines of Hange’s face, they still give him their same annoyingly energetic grin. According to them, Levi sports a similar one himself.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Levi scowls, flipping through his notes. He raises his open cup to his mouth, blowing the steam rising from the liquid’s surface.

“I don’t know man, it seems like you’ve had a smaller stick up your ass lately. A much smaller stick,” Hange says. They fiddle with the sleeve of one of their galaxy sweaters, one of many that Levi personally found an eyesore. “Now that I think about it, maybe it’s not a stick-“

“You’re an idiot,” Levi scoffs, glaring at them over the rim of his cup as he tips it back, the coffee burning in his throat. 

“Did you get laid?” Hange asks, their eyes lighting up with mischief. Levi chokes on his coffee, spitting some across the table, heat scalding in his nose.

“The fuck is wrong with you?” he chokes out, wiping the droplets off the table’s surface. “You don’t just ask people if they’ve had sex.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Fuck off,” Levi scowls, turning back to his notes again.

“Alright, calm down,” Hange says. They sit in silence, their brow furrowing as they think. “Did you meet someone at work?”

Levi glares down at his notes, clicking his tongue. He feels heat rise in his cheeks, and he knows his ears must be turning red. In front of him, Hange throws back their head, a triumphant laugh bellowing from their chest.

“I knew it!” they exclaim loudly, the people surrounding them turning to glance at them incredulously, perplexed looks on their faces. Levi swears, swatting his hand uselessly in front of him to get Hange’s attention and to pull them closer.

“Will you quiet the fuck down?” Levi spits between his teeth, sinking into his chair in an attempt to avoid the looks of the other customers of the coffee shop.

“Oh, this is hilarious,” Hange continues, wiping tears from their eyes. “I didn’t think any of your coworkers would be clean enough for your standards.”

“He’s not a coworker,” Levi snaps. He immediately regrets his words, his ears burning, glaring at Hange as their eyes grow as wide as saucers.

“Oh, so he’s a customer?” Hange asks. “You have to tell me his name now.”

“His name is Erwin,” Levi sighs, giving in to their demands. Hange’s eyes light up, and Levi curls into himself, readying for the incoming barrage of questions.

“How did you meet?” they ask, propping their elbows on the table, resting their chin on their hands like a giddy schoolgirl.

“Apparently he’s a regular,” Levi says. “Must have a bunch of birds.”

“Is he cute?”

“Shut up,” Levi says. Hange’s grin grows wider, more mischievous. “Maybe. A little.”

“Oh come on,” Hange begs, “I need details, Levi. Is he buff? Is he tall? He must be taller than you.”

“Shut the fuck up.”

“I need to know how much of a hunk this guy is,” they continue, ignoring Levi’s curses. “Eye colour. Hair colour. Everything.”

Levi sighs, giving Hange another pissed off glare before giving into their wishes. “Blonde hair, blues eyes,” he lists, “pretty tall. Pretty buff. He has massive eyebrows.”

“Oh my god,” Hange snorts. “Are they at least shaped well? Or are they like bushy little caterpillars chilling on his brow?”

“Shut up,” Levi says again, stifling the grin threatening to break through. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

“Are you going to ask him out?” Hange persists, leaning in.

“Fuck no,” Levi says. “He doesn’t seem like my type. And he’s probably way out of my league.”

“Ah, that’s not true,” Hange says. “You’re pretty good looking.”

“This guy was dressed like someone out of a fancy perfume commercial,” Levi says. 

“How do you know he won’t be interested in you?” Hange asks. “Did he seem interested in you?”

“I don’t know,” Levi answers. He ponders the moment a few days back, recalling Erwin’s wide smile, the way he tilted his head to look at Levi’s nametag. “Maybe. I can’t tell for shit.”

“Not hard to guess you’re pretty oblivious with this stuff.”

Levi glares at them from across the table, turning a page of his notes fiercely. He doesn’t reply.

“Well,” Hange breathes, “you’re not going to know unless you make a move.”

“Not gonna happen,” Levi mutters to himself, the two of them drifting into an easy silence as they delve into their study again.

#

When Levi sees his work schedule for the month has him working every Wednesday, he doesn’t know whether to thank Mike or punch him in the jaw.

He thinks that punching one of the managers of the store would probably get him fired, and he won’t give Mike the satisfaction of knowing he’s secretly glad for the opportunity to see Erwin as much as he can. So he keeps to pretending he doesn’t notice, or that he doesn’t care.

Mike doesn’t say a word for the rest of the week, letting Levi do his job in peace, glad not to have his coworkers teasing accompanying the shouting of angry customers, often yelling at him from the other side of the cash register for not finding them what he needs or for telling them for the third time that no, this coupon expired three months ago, you can’t use it anymore. But when he hears the bell chiming over the opening door, Mike smirking at him as he watches Erwin make his way to the counter, he can’t help but ball his hands into fists.

Despite how easily he’s able to get on Levi’s nerves, Mike still has the decency to leave the two of them alone as Levi scopes out Erwin’s birdseed through the massive shelves. He’s grateful for the relative privacy, relieved that he doesn’t have anyone watching him every time he crashes and burns in front of Erwin, his ears flushing red, his words sticking in his mouth like caramel. No matter how much he tries to open up, force himself out of his shell, he only seems to withdraw farther into himself, his usual stoic façade slipping as he turns into his usual awkward, stuttering mess. 

“You don’t seem to talk much,” Erwin comments one day as Levi is ringing up his purchase. He can recall the item number from his memory alone by this point, waiting for the faulty credit machine to spit out the receipt. 

“Yeah,” Levi says pathetically. He finds himself staring down at the keys of the register, pretending to do something important so he doesn’t have to look Erwin in the face. “Not around people I don’t know well.”

“I think I talk too much,” Erwin says. He rests his elbow on the counter, leaning in. “I guess I just have to say what’s on my mind a lot of the time, it ends up making me too honest for my own good.”

“I can see that,” Levi says. He cringes at his words, too harsh and snappish from his mouth, and for a minute he worries that he must have offended him. His nerves are relieved when Erwin chuckles, the corners of his eyes crinkling in his all too radiant smile.

“I guess it’s painfully obvious then,” Erwin says. “Although I find that the people who don’t talk as much are the ones with the most thoughts running through their heads.”

“Is that so?” Levi responds, cocking an eyebrow.

“I think so,” Erwin says. “Does it take a lot for someone to get your thoughts out of you?”

“Depends on the person,” Levi answers. The machine finally finished printing the receipt, and Levi tears it off, passing it to Erwin across the table. Their hands brush against each other briefly, Erwin’s hand strong and surprisingly soft against his. “Or what you say.”

Erwin smirks, stuffing the slip into his pocket, pushing his buggy out the door. Before Levi has the chance to collapse against the counter, slumping his head in defeat and embarrassment, Erwin turns to look over his shoulder.

“Thanks, Levi,” he says. He raises one hand over his head in a friendly wave. “I’ll see you next week.”

#

The next week dawns with a new litter of rabbits, a wave of new customers flooding into the store with their children in tow. With Easter on the horizon, the store had to face the challenge of subtly turning away every possible customer that they could, exaggerating the needs of rabbit care to sway people from buying them as last minute gifts for their family during the holidays. It’s the same grueling process again and again, the same spiel about a twelve – year commitment and a rabbit’s need for a companion and hay, the same warnings about the costs of taking care of a pet, and the same blooming migraine every time a parent has to drag their screaming child out of the store when they refuse to buy one.

“This is fucking hell,” Levi mutters to himself, his arms aching from the weight of the rabbit in his hold. He cringes at its smell, the dander making his nose itch and his eyes water. His head throbs in pain, and he can only hope that the Tylenol he had taken before work keeps it from getting worse. From the sound of one customer yelling at Petra for apparently not knowing proper pet care, his voice loud enough to be heard from down the aisle, he knows the noise won’t be helping him.

“You think this is fucking hell,” Auruo scowls. His face twists in disgust as he watches a toddler throw a fit on the tile floor, his chubby limbs flailing as he shrieks in rebellion. “Just wait another month. Every single one of these parents are going to return with gross, unhealthy rabbits, and they’re gonna scream at us for not warning them about the fact that baby bunnies grow into adults, and then they’re going to want to speak to the manager, and it’ll just be another repeat of this hell all over again.”

“You’d think people were smart enough to know that children do grow into adults.”

“Well, we’re dealing with a whole new breed of stupid here,” Auruo says. “If they knew how babies grew, I don’t think they would be pulling their gremlins into the store on child leashes.”

Levi snorts, slipping the rabbit back into its cage. He hears the familiar sound of the bell ringing, its crystal sound faint in the buzz of people around him. He sees Erwin’s all to familiar blond hair, his bulk pushing through the crowd as his eyes scan through the shop.

“Take over for a minute,” Levi says. He leaves Auruo alone with the cages, winding around customers. He starts to follow Erwin into the maze of shelves, searching for him as he disappears around a corner.

He finally finds him in one of the food aisles, slowly pushing his empty cart between the shelves. Levi comes up from behind him, slowly making his way around.

“Can I help you?”

Erwin grins, his blue eyes lighting up when Levi comes into view. “It’s good to see you again.” 

“You too,” Levi says. He knows what bag to get by now, the two of them walking to the shelf together. “Especially in all this mess.”

“I can’t imagine what Christmas must be like here,” Erwin says. “Good thing you haven’t been here long enough to witness it yet.”

“Yeah,” Levi mutters. He throws the bag of feed over his shoulder, lifting it back into Erwin’s cart. “Can’t wait for that.”

“I guess you’ve gotten pretty sick of Easter by now,” Erwin says, his usual smirk blooming on his face again.

“I don’t celebrate it,” Levi says, “and working here right now, I’m glad I don’t.”

“I don’t blame you,” Erwin says. “It seems like the kids who were raised Christian are always the ones who hate it.”

“I’m Jewish.”

“Oh,” Erwin says. There’s an awkward pause, Erwin looking down at his shoes, a hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I really shouldn’t have assumed that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Levi says. “Is there anything else you need?”

“There is, actually,” Erwin says, his eyes widening. “I was thinking of trying another brand, I’ve heard some good stuff about it and wondered if it would be better for my parrot…”

Erwin starts to stroll his way down the aisle, his steps short and slow as he scans up and down the shelves, a hand scratching his chin. Levi almost smirks, laughing at Erwin’s resemblance to a philosopher in deep thought. 

“There it is.” Erwin stops, pointing to another large bag on the very top shelf, red plastic shining under the fluorescent lights.

“Shit,” Levi murmurs under his breath. He makes his way up to the wall of pet food. He tries stretching at first, his hands nowhere close to reaching the bag he needs. Then he props himself on his toes, feeling his face flush in his mortification. Still, his fingertips barely graze the smooth plastic.

“Do you need help?” Erwin asks tentatively. He makes his way beside Levi, reaching up with him. Even with his added height, he struggles with the weight of the bag, almost falling back before Levi pushes him away from the shelf.

“Don’t,” Levi says. He can tell that he might hurt himself, and he doesn’t think he would make a good impression on his boss for having a customer injured for doing his job. “I’ll do it. Just wait.”

He hurries his way to the stockroom, dodging through the cages of budgies as he wheels out the store’s only stepladder, its red paint chipping, the employees only sign hanging limply from one chain on its railing.

He keeps his head down as he wheels it back into the aisle. He looks around to make sure Mike isn’t wandering or labeling prices, the thought of him watching Levi on a stepladder for Erwin humiliating. But he pushes the metal steps to shelf anyway, climbing them as he reaches upward for the bag.

“I could help you with it, you know,” Erwin says, laughter decorating his voice. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”

“It’s no trouble,” Levi groans, reaching for the sack. His ears must be tomato red by now, and he can feel Erwin’s grin bearing into him from behind, amused at his determination despite his lack of height. Levi curses to himself, wondering why the shelves would be so ridiculously large in a pet store, why massively heavy things would be placed on the top shelf. He thinks the place must have been a hardware store at some point.

“Let me help,” Erwin insists. He takes a step forward, one foot planting itself on the first step of the ladder. Levi feels the metal platform shake under his feet.

“Hey,” Levi warns. He’s finally able to grab the sack, dusting off a layer of thin dust coating it. “The sign says employees only. Don’t make me ban you from the store.”

He gets a light chuckle in response, his heart pounding in his chest. He lifts the bag over his shoulder, stepping back to make his way down.

His toes slip on one of the steps, and for a terrifying moment his foot is in free fall, feeling himself fall backwards. His other arm flails out, trying and failing to grab one of the handrails of the ladder. He hears Erwin shout behind him.

His back hits something firm and solid, grabbing him before he can hit the ground. It keeps him steady as he finds his footing, holding him even as his feet plant themselves onto the safety of even ground. A large hand grips his shoulder. It takes him a moment to realize he’s in Erwin’s arms.

He turns his head to the side, finding himself face to face with Erwin’s chiseled features, their noses inches from each other. Blue eyes bore into his, watching him with alarm and concern. For a minute Levi’s even more thankful to have Erwin’s arm supporting him, keeping him upright as his legs turn to jelly in his gaze.

“Are you alright?” Erwin asks, his arm still strong around Levi’s back.

“Yeah,” Levi murmurs. Erwin relinquishes his hold, his arm sliding away. Levi feels a pang of disappointment as the distance between them is established again, missing the feel of Erwin’s muscles against him. He looks up and down the aisle, the few people lining the shelves of merchandise giving them subtle, dubious looks.

“I’ve always thought having such high shelves might be a hazard,” Erwin says. “Maybe you should talk to your boss about that.”

Levi is about to speak before he hears his name being called from a neighbouring lane, Auruo’s high-pitched yell calling him frantically. 

“I should go,” Levi says. He lifts the bag into Erwin’s cart before making his way out of the aisle, his knees still weak and heart still pounding in embarrassment, following the call of his name. “I’ll see you next week.”

He’s around the corner and rushing back to the cages of rabbits before Erwin has a chance to say goodbye.

#

The first thing Levi does when he gets home is flop face first onto the couch, groaning into the sofa cushions.

“Bad day at work?” Hange asks. They watch as Levi’s fall sends their notes flying, grabbing them as they float down to the floor. 

“Don’t fucking talk to me,” Levi groans, his voice muffled, refusing to lift his head from the cushions. 

“Oh come on, tell me what happened,” Hange says. One hand presses against his back, shaking him.

“This job is shit,” Levi says, slowly getting up from the sofa. He makes his way to the bathroom, untying his apron. “The customers are entitled pieces of crap, the animals smell, and I can’t reach half the shelves.”

Hange chortles, turning back to the laptop resting on their legs, the keyboard clacking as their fingers dance across the keys. “You thinking of quitting yet?”

“I can’t,” Levi says. Erwin’s face flashes through his mind, the same blue eyes boring into him again. “Not when I have to help you pay for this apartment.”

“That reminds me,” Hange says, “the Starbucks near the pet store called. They’re willing to give you a job.”

Levi stops in the doorway, his arms frozen in front of him as he lifts the apron over his head. “What?”

“Yeah,” Hange says. “Kind of weird they would call you in so late after your interview. I guess they had a lot of people to go through.”

“Oh,” Levi says lamely. He turns around, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, looking at his scuffed shoes. Hange’s brow furrows, and they lean their head back on the couch to look at him from over the headrest.

“You don’t seem to happy about this,” Hange ponders. “I thought you would be ecstatic to get away from that pet place.”

“Yeah,” Levi says. “I guess the place kind of grew on me.”

“I think it’s Erwin who’s grown on you.”

Levi balls up his apron, pelting it at Hange from across the room. They shriek, swatting it away, their laptop almost falling out of their lap.

“Shut up,” Levi grumbles. Hange throws the apron back at him. It unfolds mid flight, opening up like a parachute, lamely floating to the ground halfway towards him.

“Their number is on the fridge door,” Hange says as Levi turns around, making his way to the bathroom to shower. “I would think about it if I were you.”

#

Levi hands in his apron the next week.

He’s seen off the job with disappointed but sympathetic looks. His coworkers seem subdued as well, almost upset that his absence would soon be felt inside the store. He can’t help but be upset as well, feeling a glimmer of guilt for leaving so suddenly. But the pay is double at his new job, and they even tell him he can earn benefits working there, and he thinks that withstanding the abuse of angrier customers before they’ve had their caffeine fix is worth the money.

Erwin doesn’t show up that Wednesday, and Levi leaves before he can see him again.

#

His first week on the job is hectic, the work fast paced and frantic. It makes Levi want to tear his hair out, having to learn how to make every possible drink on the menu, while the people ordering are waiting, under a specific time frame – the frame depending on the time of day and the patience of the people waiting for their drinks, which he realizes the hard way is not that long. 

Hange’s hovering presence - although an amusing respite to the chaos -doesn’t help him. They come in and out every day before they can crash from their last caffeine fix, keeping themselves awake to study for another test or exam, begging him for discounts.

“Come on Levi,” Hange pleads, their argument the same every day. “A med student’s gotta have their caffeine. You can’t help me out?”

He replies with a friendly ‘fuck off,’ shooing them away as he turns back to make their order. But by the time he’s finished, Hange would sometimes be settled in their seat, their fingers already soaring across the keys of their laptop. Levi often takes this time to take a much-needed break, the sound of Hange’s ramblings or mutterings as they study a brief opportunity to calm himself down.

By the second week he’s established a rhythm, working through the motions faster and easier than he thought he would have been able to manage. He works through his training almost effortlessly, managing to only mess up a few drinks during the week.

Sometimes, his old coworkers would walk over from the pet shop on their break. Levi won’t admit it, but their familiar faces helps make the job a little brighter, the atmosphere a little more welcoming when he’s able to slip into conversation with relative ease with them throughout their visits. It’s nice to be able to keep in contact with them, and whenever he sees Mike’s head towering over the rest from the back of the line, or Auruo and Petra’s bickering from a table by the window, he can’t help but feel the job become a little less bearable and a little more pleasant.

# 

He spots Erwin through the storefront window by the end of the second week.

He almost spills the drink he’s holding, squinting through the glass as he watches Erwin make his way down the sidewalk, his brow furrowed as he looks back into the Starbucks. 

Erwin stops on the sidewalk, his eyes widening when he recognizes Levi through the window. He raises one hand in a tentative wave, a small smile growing on his face. Levi slowly returns it, his heart leaping in his chest when he sees Erwin start to cross the street.

The door swings open, and this time there is no bell to signal his arrival, but Levi still turns his way. Erwin makes his way to the back of the line winding from the cash registers, and Levi glues himself to one of them as he watches Erwin inch forward ever so slowly.

“What would you like to order?” Levi says in his usual monotone voice. He cocks an eyebrow, watching as Erwin stares blankly at the menu above them. Levi can tell he’s obviously never been here before.

“I’ll just have a croissant,” Erwin says awkwardly. He pulls out his wallet, waiting for Levi to ring in his order.

“Hey,” he says as he’s handing his money to Levi, his voice a little quieter. “Do you think maybe you can take a break? Just so we can talk, like we used to.”

“Yeah,” Levi says slowly. His heart starts palpitating, the palms of his hands growing sweaty. He looks out to the line growing behind him, a crowd of impatient customers waiting for their drinks. “It’s the middle of the lunch rush though. I won’t be able to take that long of a break.”

“Oh,” Erwin says, and Levi can’t help but see a hint of disappointment in his eyes. “When do you think you would be able to get off?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Levi sees the door swing open again, a gaggle of teenagers loudly making their way inside. “Not until this is over,” he sighs. “It’s going to take a while.”

“Should I come back in the evening?” Erwin asks. His words make Levi stop in his tracks.

“Around five should be good,” Levi says, before handing Erwin his food. 

“I’ll be back, then,” Erwin says with a grin, giving Levi another tentative wave as he slips out the door.

#

By the time the digital clock near the drive – thru window clicks to five, Levi’s turned into a jittery mess. 

He finds himself unable to concentrate; he almost pumps the wrong syrup into people’s drinks, getting yelled at for forgetting to put whip cream on top of someone’s frappucino. He has to remind himself to take a deep breath, willing himself to stop his heart from pumping so hard it almost hurts his chest.

Erwin is true to his word, Levi seeing his blond hair make its way across the front window. He almost manages a smile himself when he sees Erwin make his way to the counter; there is no line now, only a few students at the tables with their books sprawled open. 

“I’m taking my break,” Levi says, lifting his apron over his head. He winds his way out from behind the counter, meeting Erwin at the front. They stand awkwardly for a minute, before Levi leads them to one of the free tables by the window. 

“You didn’t have to get me anything,” Erwin says as Levi puts two cups down on the table, fishing through his pockets for sugar packets. 

“I wanted to get you something,” Levi replies, voice quiet, “since you went through the trouble to come all the way back here.”

“It was no trouble,” Erwin smiles. He takes the cup anyway, grabbing some of the sugar packets Levi had thrown on the tabletop, pouring the contents into his coffee. “It’s just good to see you again.”

His words make Levi’s heart skip a beat, and he sits down before his knees start shaking. Erwin smiles at him, lifting his cup to his mouth to blow the steam from the surface, Levi’s eyes staring at his pursed lips the whole time. They sit in silence, sipping their coffee. Levi wipes his hands on his jeans, his leg bouncing; he can’t help but be under the impression that they were on a date.

“So what’s it like being a barista?”

“Hell,” Levi says. “I thought the customers at the pet store were bad, at least I didn’t have to deal with them before they’ve had their morning coffee.”

“Ouch,” Erwin hisses, cringing.

“The pay is good, though, so I’m not complaining,” Levi says, taking a sip from his cup. “Have to pay rent somehow.”

“You left the store pretty quickly,” Erwin states. “I would have thought that you would at least have given a month notice.”

“Oh, yeah,” Levi stutters. “Guess it was pretty fast. My old boss was good about it though.”

“That’s good,” Erwin says. “Although the store seems different without you there. I was looking forward to seeing you last week.”

“Oh,” Levi says. He could feel the heat rising in his face. “I was too. You didn’t come in the last week I was there, though.”

“Yeah, I must have missed you then,” Erwin ponders, scratching his chin. “I was at the vet’s the whole day. Turns out Peggy didn’t take well to the new food we bought her. Guess that whole ladder trip was all for nothing.”

“Who’s Peggy?”

“My macaw?” Erwin questions, his brow furrowed. “Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever showed you any of my birds.”

Erwin shifts in his seat, reaching into his back pocket for his phone. He pushes it in front of Levi, clicking the lock button, his screen lighting up. His screensaver is of him, his face presses against the belly of a white parrot, his lips pursed in a duckface. Levi snorts, raising his eyebrows.

“I admit, that’s not my best photo,” Erwin chuckles. He takes his phone again, opening his photos, flipping through picture after picture of his parrot. “Although I think Peggy does look her best in it.”

“Wow,” Levi says. Despite his hatred for the animal, cringing at the talons of the bird as it pries through some of its toys in the photos, he can’t help but think it to be quite beautiful. “How long have you had her for?”

“She used to be my dad’s,” Erwin says. “He passed away a few years ago, so I took custody of it. I’ve always loved her, so I couldn’t imagine her going to a store to be sold away.

“And those two are Bert and Ernie,” Erwin says, stopping at a photo of two green budgies sitting on his wrist. “I got them a few years ago from a friend.”

“Must be hell to clean up after,” Levi says.

“They are,” Erwin laughs. “I don’t think there is a single piece of furniture in my apartment that they haven’t shit on yet.”

“Must be all the food you feed them,” Levi smirks, “considering you come in every week for food.”

“They don’t eat all of it. I donate some to the nearby animal shelter.” 

“Really?” Levi asks.

“Yep,” Erwin says. “They don’t get a lot of food for any of their birds, it’s nice to be able to donate something.”

They sink into comfortable conversation, Levi barely noticing his change in demeanor, his tongue barely sticking in his mouth, the heat in his cheeks dying down. He doesn’t know how long they talk for, conversation eventually dwindling into restful silence, the two of them in their own thoughts as they sit in content at their table.

“I should get back to work,” Levi says softly, “before everyone gets pissed at me.”

Erwin turns to him, nodding. “That’s a good idea. It was nice talking to you again.”

“Yeah,” Levi says. “We should do it again.”

“Actually,” Erwin starts, his words slow and careful, “maybe we could meet somewhere else?”

Levi cocks an eyebrow, looking at him in confusion. “What?”

“I mean,” Erwin sighs. Levi sees his cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Maybe we could go see a movie together? I’m free Saturday night.”

His words take time to register in Levi’s mind, finding it almost impossible to comprehend. Erwin is asking him out on a real date.

“Sure,” Levi murmurs, digging in his pocket to get his phone. He unlocks it, holding it out to Erwin with one hand.

They trade phones, typing their numbers into each of their contacts. Levi’s hands fumble across the keys, the four letters of his name almost impossible to type in his frenzy. 

“Alright,” Erwin breathes, handing back the phone. His smile is radiant, his crinkled eyes shining. Levi walks him to the door. “I’ll see you Saturday?”

“Saturday,” Levi says, nodding. He waves to him as he leaves, watching him cross the street from the window before turning back to his work, his mind buzzing anxiously in anticipation for the end of the week.

**Author's Note:**

> Contrary to the title, there is no explicit stuff in here. Feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
